Pursuit of Excellence

This year our Relief Society Presidency has challenged the sisters in our 

ward to take on and complete the Pursuit of Excellence of Program

that our church put together. 

It has several different categories with challenges to be completed in each

of the categories. It is a way for sisters to 

set goals toward self improvement. 

I decided to take on the challenge.

Our Relief Society passed out the little booklets along with a small notebook, to record our 

efforts. I have decided that each month I would focus on a new

challenge for each category. In my notebook I am recording the challenges that I am choosing to do for 

each month, but I thought I would report my progress here.

So here it goes ...

 January's challenges 

Spiritual- Increase the frequency and meaning of my daily prayers.

This has been wonderful for me. I have found myself turning off the radio in my car and 

instead talking to my Heavenly Father on my rides to school. I have felt His presence

and guidance with me even more than normal throughout my day.

My prayers have become less repetitive, and more an outpouring of feelings,

thoughts, and concern for others.

Intellectual- Learn more about astronomy and share my knowledge with Ivy.

Ivy has a great love for space and the planets. We even got her a telescope for Christmas. We have already spent many a night looking at the moon and talking about it's phases. As I wrote in my last

 post, we took the kids to the Planetarium for Ivy's birthday. There we learned more

about the constellations, and the planets. I plan to continue on with this

challenge. I am really enjoying the extra time I get to spend with Ivy.

Physical- Improve eating and sleeping habits.

Jason and I have been making an effort to go to bed earlier, and we have been feeling so much

 more alert in the mornings. What a difference in my mood during the day.

I also joined a healthy living challenge that my friends Matt and Lindsey Cobb started. My body has much more energy, and I am finally working off the last few pounds of baby weight I haven't been able to shake. 

Service- Give individual service to Emilie.

I chose her because she is the oldest, and I tend to rely on her more than the others. I expect more from her, and do less to serve her on daily basis than I do my younger three. I have

volunteered to drive her and her friends to activities, and other things she has wanted to do. I picked her up from school on rainy days (she usually walks home). I also typed her Social Studies project for her while she dictated to me. It cut down on her homework time immensely. I also helped pick up some of the slack from her chores so she could have some down time after school. It takes her so long to complete her homework that she gets little time to herself.

Character- I decided to work on forgiving some people in my life that I have been struggling with. 

I think I have made some pretty good strides in this area. Last year was rather rough on me, and 

I had one friendship end entirely, while another became quite strained. I have begun praying for these individuals, and trying to find ways let go of the anger and hurt I have been holding on to. I still have a long road ahead, but I think I am finally heading where I want to end up.

Well, there you have it. My January goals and progress. I have already begun working on February's goals, and I look forward to reporting my progress next month.